The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-10-22
ACOLLECTOR'S POPULATIONS
John Woerman's Employers Discover
that He Has EmbezzIed over $1,000. !.
When SEVERN, 0stermeyer & Go. Ask Him to
Turn Over His Books for Examination Of
Ills Accounts He Leaves the City.

John woerman for six years was in the en-
ploy of the wholesale grocers, SEVERN. Oster-
meyer g. Co. He had salary sufficient to keep
him, his wife and six children in a comfortable
home. but the neigh bors began to talk about the
Woermans' living beyond their means. His en-
poycrs gave no heed to this gossip as John APP
parently conducted himself honest collect
or, for that WAS his line of work The firm has
large number of customers in the city and
many of them ordered their goods and paid for
them through Woerman. He had his routes for
collection for each day the week. and when he
visited customer he would nearly always get
an additional order from him. "You can do bet
ter by dealing with me" he said, "than by going
directly to the house. can get slight dis
count prices and besides you will save time
The retailers were glad of this assistance and
everything went on nicely unit! about a year
and a half ago. II then. said Mr.. Ostermeyer,
detected shortage in Mr. Woerman's collec-
tons from certain customer. He said it WAS
a mistake, and he paid the money due, q small
account, and we thought nothing of it until six
months afterwards when we discovered another
shortage. then sent to the customer for his
receipts. given by Woerman. and they showed
that the bills had been paid in full. That matter
was settled by Woerman paying over the money
he had retained
AS far as his employers knew, Woerman had
no bad habits He drank little, perhaps, but
ever heard of his being drunk. If he
played poker eambled in other ways. he did
it secretly, and strange woman appears
the of his difficulties The probable
cause, as suggested by his methods, is that his
handling daily considerable sums of money for
his employers proved to be too much for his
covetousness. In explaining Woerman's work
the past few months, Mr. Ostermeyer said: "We
had intimation suspicion that anything
wrong until last Monday, after Woerman
had gone on his route. A customer, Mr.. john
son. came into the store and bought coal oil.
We knew he was talking about selling out, and
this occasion he said: This is the last barrel
of oil l will buy. you know am about TO
transfer my store to the purchaser. am all
right your books / told him that thought
a small balance was due. He was surprised at
this, and said that he was he owed
nothing. he paid Woerman regu-
larly whenever the bills matured. But
there was $73 the books against Johnson. I
can show you my receipts he said. which will
prove that the balance is wrong He wen. after
them and brought them to the store. According
to them he did not owe a cent When Woer-
man came in the next morning asked for
explanation, WDen ne SAID bnag JOlneOnS ac-
count as it appeared on the books was all right.
told him that thought he was lying. At this
he became angry. and said something about not
permitting persons to call him liar, but when
l showed him the receipts he quaied, and ac-
knowledged that Johnson had paid him in full.
He tried to adjust the matter by saying that he
made mistake, but informed him that the
firm must know how he stood with it in regard
to other collections There were no other short
accounts out. he replied. unless here and there
1t might appear that there would be few cents
rsceints knew INC ba 00oA had anu hooks hls
of his own in which he kept the amounts
collected from each customer. and ordered him
to bring them to the store But don't you
want me to go my route to-dayF he asked
told him no, and peremptorily sent him off
after his books My son went On the route. and
at 10 o'clock that morning found Woerman
among the customers collecting usual He
was told by my to quit until examina-
ton could be had, but Woerman returned to the
store at noon with books. He said he would
surely have them in the counting room at 4
o'clock that afternoon. He given a warn
ing to be prompt in what was expected of him,
and to keep away from the customers Since
then we have found that he collected S110 that
day. He came into the store at o'clock with
an excuse that he could not bring his books to
us until the morning, when he would certainly
not fail Wednesday morning, when the porter
living on top of the Journal that had
from Woerman. in which he said
that he could not come that morning. but would
surely be at the counting room with the books
at o'clock that afternoon. He did not come,
and we have or heard from him since.
he left the city Wednesday morning. Until we
went into examination of the accounts and
comparing them with the Woerman receipts the
customers hold thought his pecnlations
would not amount to more than $3.50 or 5000, but
we have already discovered 81 600 that he col
lectec and of which he made no return. 1t will
heard
all with whom he had dealings"
1t is said that Woerman would collect money
on a certain bill and out of it keep S., $40. $15
and $25 In some instances ne has retained
$75 and 800. MANY of our customers
have sixty days time" said Mr.. Ostermeyer,
land Woerman. in reporting. would give
excuse why the balance was not paid. AS the
customers were all good his explanations were
accepted Without question. In few days or by
the end Of the week he would pay the balance
from other collections he had made On one
occasion a cash customer failed to pay. We
thought it strange but Woerman told US that
the man was building and needed little more
time He was good for the sum. and we did not
know the true cause of his apparent backward
ness until Woermans populations were discov-
cred. think Woerman has collected ST, 800
within the last thirty days of which we have
account He has, L believe. taken the greater
part of the money with him."
Between 10 and II o'clock Tuesday night
Woerman went to his landlord. Peter Zimmer
and told him that he had months leave of alb
sence from his employer and that he was going |
to Cincinnati and Louisville. II want YOU"
said Woerman, ITO credit me with three months |
advance rent and credit it to your account with |
the store. You can also give a receipt"
thinner gave him the credit asked for and in |
appearing at SEVERN, Ostermeyer 81 Co. 3 store |
Wednesday morning to purchase goods, told the |
firm about the transaction with his tenant He |
was informed that such a credit would not be |
recognized by the firm. thinner did not say |
whether he had given the receipt or not but it is
supposed he did. Where Woerman has gone no |
one knows. but before he is caught it is believed
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